The Woodcutter's Son
by Daniel Shaun Mewlintha
Summary: Jasper, son of Daventry's woodcutter, travels to Kolyna to defeat Hagatha and her henchmen. Along the way he meets Roxy, better known as Little Red Riding Hood, though she's not little anymore. Sister story to Two Castles.
1. An Idea

In the shades of Daventry's woods, a young boy hurried along the path back to his cottage. His messy brown hair flipped and flopped around as he ran to a small wooden house in a clearing. He grabbed his father's ax, his deep blue eyes shining in the sunlight.

He heard a voice from nearby in the forest as he grabbed the ax from a stump next to the cottage. He knew his task was urgent: his father's job as a woodcutter was all that fed his family. Two years ago his father wouldn't have been doing nearly this much work, and Jasper wouldn't have needed to help. For two years ago, a magical bowl had been stolen from his family by a thieving dwarf. Now, he had to work with his father to get the money to feed his parents and himself.

The voice called out again, and the young man recognized it as the voice of a knight, Sir William. He crept toward and listened carefully. The knight was speaking to his wife. He said to his wife, "Look at this parchment! A wanted poster-all the way from Kolyma! It looks as if they are having troubles over there. Though that Count Dracula may be dead, their troubles are not over."

The lady nodded, and replied, "Well, that's plenty of gold for only a few bandits or so. Why don't you travel there, and capture them?"

The knight only shook his head, "No, my love. My heart is here with you, and on these posters they say these are more than just bandits! A witch and an enchanter are the top wanted."

Suddenly, an idea popped up in the young man's mind. He could travel to Kolyma and capture these people himself! Then, he would have enough money to feed his family and himself! It was brilliant!

All he had to do was get a vessel and the necessary supplies... and of course ask his parents. They had to let him go. It was a brilliant idea!

Suddenly, a voice called from the woods, "Jasper! Hurry, I need my ax." Quickly, Jasper ran back through the forest, its leaves just beginning to turn golden and red, to his father who was cutting down a cedar deep in the forests.

After a long day, Jasper hurried back to the cabin where his family lived. He knew that dinner, though it would be a measly meal, would be the perfect time to tell his mother and father about his plans.

As they began to eat, Jasper looked for a chance to bring up his master plan. Then his father began to speak. "I found a wanted poster, all the way from Kolyma, where Queen Valanice once lived. To capture those troublemakers would gain any family riches beyond their wildest dreams. It's too bad my old bones are too tired for travel."

Jasper nearly jumped in his seat as he began, "Father? Well... I heard a knight speaking about that poster. I wondered... maybe... if I could travel to Kolyma, and try to capture them."

His father looked worried, but his mother had another idea, "That would be wonderful!"

"But it would be dangerous," his father added, "not to mention actually trying to capture these people."

"Come on!" his mother said, defending him. "Jasper is quite old enough to handle it. You've about the adventures King Graham has made, haven't you?"

"But what about the costs?" his father continued. Jasper winced at the thought. That, he thought, would be the most difficult part of the argument.

He had a plan though. "I can help you. I'll get plenty of money, and I can use what I earn. The biggest part will be getting there. Then, the rest would mostly be supplies."

His father, still reluctant, replied, "Maybe... I'll know by the morning. Get some sleep."

Jasper hurried to his small bed. Then, he quickly blew out his candle. Finally, he crept into bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

Suddenly he awoke. A bright light shone at his door, but through his window he could see it was still nighttime. He quietly went to the door and opened it just a crack, but then the whole door flew open and Jasper saw a fairy standing in the doorway. Her hair was long and dark, and her eyes seemed to flash with the colors of the rainbow.

"Opali'onia!" he called out.

His fairy godmother—an old friend of his mother's—smiled at him. Jasper held the door open as she strode into the cottage. She sat herself on a small chair at a table in the center of the cottage and waited.

As she did this, the sun began to rise above the sky. Soon, Jasper's mother was getting out of bed, and so was his father, but slowly.

"Jasper?" his mother asked sleepily. "Is that you?"

His mother quietly got out of her bed and walked over to her son at the table. Then, she looked to a usually empty chair at one end of the table. She rubbed her eyes to make sure it wasn't just a dream.

"Opali'onia!" she said with a shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I was over at Crispin's the other day," she began as Jasper's father woke up and quickly joined in on the conversation. "He showed me the wanted poster from Kolyma. I knew just what Jasper would do about it. So, I came here with everything he might need—some gold from my extra stash, food, a ship schedule, a compass, a telescope, and a map of Kolyma from my cousin…" She rambled on for awhile.

They talked all morning as Jasper's mother prepared breakfast. By noon, they were heading off to the southeast on a rickety, rented horse-drawn carriage. They were at the port by dusk, and then they stayed the night at The Bi Zula Inn. At dawn the next morning, they rushed to the docks. Jasper boarded Kolyma's Spirit and waved good-bye to his family.

Little did he know he was about to begin the journey of his life.


	2. To Kolyma!

Kolyma's Spirit sailed swiftly on the open seas. It wasn't a large boat, but it was tough, speedy, and according to the crew, the best they'd ever sailed on. The boat sailed smoothly along.

It was a smooth ride to Kolyma. It took them only two days to cross the seas. At high noon on the second day, Jasper heard a sailor shout, "Land ho!" from the crows nest. He took out his telescope and scanned the horizon. As he faced southeast, he could see a large chunk of green straight ahead.

Just as he was putting his telescope away again in his pack, he heard a deafening roar surround the ship. From nowhere, storm clouds had appeared. Thunder rumbled, lightning crackled, and waves hit against the sides of the boat, tossing and turning it. The deck was suddenly filled with water. It was all Jasper could do to hang on to the side of the boat and hold on to his pack.

By now, Jasper was completely soaked. He could hear a strange noise ahead of him… _whish-whirl-whirl whish-whirl-whirl_.

A whirlpool lay just ahead of the ship's path. Just as the ship entered the vortex of doom, Jasper flipped over the rim of the ship and slid down the side. He held his breath as he plunged into the water. He felt chilled to the bone. Colder than he had ever been. Colder even than when, in the dead of winter, he had to go to town to buy food for his family.

Then his life flashed before his eyes. It had been a simple life, except for the first ten years of it when he had gone to live with his godfather, Crispinophur and learned a bit of magic.

_I'm going to die,_ he thought. _I can't survive._

He plunged deeper into the darkness.

_That's funny. Why am I still sinking?_

Suddenly, it felt as if he was falling through air instead of water. He opened his eyes slowly, and then breathed out in disbelief as he realized that he was falling through a twilit sky now. He began to fall slower and slower, until eventually he realized he was no longer falling. With his pack back on his shoulder (though he had been sure he had lost it in the vortex) he took a step forward onto solid ground. He felt dizzy after the strange storm. He began to sway back and forth, and then he collapsed in between two roots of an oak tree.

**

* * *

**

**Sorry this chapter was so short--I promise they'll get much longer as the story progresses.**


	3. Roxy Red Riding Hood

He woke up the next morning wondering if the storm had just been a dream. He looked around to find himself in an unfamiliar forest. _Did it actually happen?_ He wondered.

Then, before he knew it, the tree began to shake. Then, there was a flash of red and a girl standing next to the tree. She was tall and had long golden blonde hair with strands in beads, along with sparkling blue eyes. Under a red hooded cape she wore an elegant blue-green sleeveless top with straps from front to back, once again, with beads on them. Her legs were covered with a long fuchsia skirt that went down to the middle of her shins. She wore long black boots that went up to a little higher then her skirt. She wasn't frail at all—Jasper guessed she could easily take him down in a fight. That is, unless it was a magical battle.

She looked him over, then asked, "So, what brings you here to Kolyma? The outlaws?" She ended by pulling out a wanted poster.

"Kolyma?" He decided not to tell her about how he had gotten there, at least not right now. She might think he was crazy. "Umm… yes, I'm here to capture them."

"Have you even read about each one?" she asked. Then, she read of the names of the wanted.

"Number one. Evil hag, Hagatha. Lives in cave by the shore. Makes potions and performs dark magic. Also skillful in iconomancy."

"Number two. Evil enchanter. Terrorizes near chasm and antique shop. Most victims turned into frogs. Also uses dark magic."

"Number three. The Big Bad Wolf. Roams near shore. Known to attack old people."

"Number four. Mischievous dwarf. Lives in house in tree. Original stealer of the Sapphire Jewels."

"Number five. Count Dracula. Vampire. Killed by King Graham of Daventry a few years ago."

"So, do you think you can handle these monsters?" she finally asked.

"Yes," said Jasper, as confidently as he could.

"Well then," replied the girl. Oh no! Was she working for them? How could he be so stupid! "Maybe you could help me."

Jasper was surprised, but he wanted to know more before he made another decision. "Who are you anyway?"

The girl held out her hand and replied, "People in west Kolyma know me as Little Red Riding Hood. Of course I'm _not_ little anymore... so you can call me Roxy. My real name is Roxana. And what may I call you?"

He shook her hand, saying, "My name is Jasper."

"Where did you come from?"

"Daventry, across the sea. It's a long story."

"You can tell me. Come with me."

"Where?"

"To Grandmother's house."

He followed along quietly. They headed down shore, and then turned away from the sea. They came to a white fence. They hurried as they went toward the blue front door of the cozy, little, white house. But when they entered, they found a shock.

"Ugh! It's the Big Bad Wolf again. Jasper, run!"

He ran out the open door with Roxy. Then, she called out, "Oh Hunt!"

A hunter came running. The wolf, hearing this from inside, ran out and away.

Roxy ran back in the house, commenting, "Now, what has he done with Grandma this time?"

"I'm under here!" exclaimed a voice from under the bed.

Roxy picked up the bed and let Grandma crawl out from under. Jasper hurried to help her up.

"Well who's this young man?" asked Grandma. "One of Hunt's friends?"

"No Grandma," said Roxy. "I'll explain it to you."

So, throughout the afternoon Jasper stayed at Grandma's house. They talked about why they were so intent on capturing the thieves… and how they got there (an interesting and unexplainable story for Jasper)… among other things.

Later, as the sun was about to set, Roxy stood up.

"You'll have to leave now Jasper. The Monastery of the Blessed Wilbury is straight east. The monks will let you stay there for protection. There are _plenty _of dangers here in west Kolyma. Come here at dawn, and be ready to capture some villains."

He quickly ran out, calling, "Bye!" as he went.

The monastery wasn't hard to find. As he passed, he thought he heard a noise behind him. A pouch dropped to the ground. A note next to it written in tiny handwriting read:

"_Dear Jasper,_

_This is Opali'onia's cousin. She told me to leave some pixie dust for you. I'm out running errands right now. Hope this is enough! _

_Sincerely,_

_The west Kolyman Fairy__"_

He picked it up and entered the monastery. He went to the head monk, who was bowing at the altar, and went to pray himself. The monk looked up and said, "Welcome, traveler, to the Monastery of the Blessed Wilbury. Do you need shelter for the night?"

"Yes," replied Jasper.

The monk walked silently to a door and opened it. Jasper entered to find a small room with one bed and a small table. _Better than at my cabin_,he thought.

He set his pack, now including a pouch of pixie dust, on the small table, then lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep.

His dreams were full of the creatures he was now to capture. Black magic... attacking old people... vampire? At least that one was dead...

Even though his dreams were full of these monsters, he slept throughout the night. Before he knew it, pale pre-dawn light was shining through his window. He woke up, gathered up his stuff, and left. He nodded to the head monk as he walked out, and ran to Grandma's house. He was about to knock on the door when Roxy came out, "Wow. I'm impressed. I was just about to go get you. Come in for breakfast.

The breakfast was incredible—it was better than anything he'd ever tasted. When they had finished, they went out of the door.

"Today," said Roxy, "let's find out about that Big Bad Wolf. He seems the least dangerous and the mission is the least risky. First, let's find an old person or somewhere a wolf might hide..."

The search was on.


End file.
